1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the management of wireless headsets and specifically to the issue of setting up a wireless headset with an access point for the first time. This involves set up and configuration of wireless headsets.
2. Background Art
A wireless headset is a physically small device with a very restricted user interface, normally consisting of one to four buttons and one or two Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Furthermore, a wireless headset must be associated or paired with another device across the wireless medium, such as a base adapter or access point connected to a telephone used by cordless telephony technologies like DECT or DSSS, a Bluetooth enabled cellular telephone used by Bluetooth enabled headsets, or an 802.11 Access Point (AP) as used by an IEEE 802.11 enabled headset.
In all cases the headset and the corresponding device must be able to exchange information for pairing or associating exclusively with each other so as to set up an exclusive connection for telephony. Examples are a four digit passcode for Bluetooth or the SSID of the AP and possibly a security encryption key for 802.11.
Previous solutions used a default pass code that was always known to the user. Unfortunately, this usually meant that the user never changed this passcode and therefore risked having others nearby “hijack” control of their headset. Furthermore, the user may often forget the passcode, rendering the headset useless if the pairing needs to be repeated for whatever reason. Also, the corresponding device then needs to have some means for the user to enter the passcode. This is fine on a cellular telephone which includes a graphical user interface with a keyboard, but is not appropriate for a cordless telephony base adapter or an 802.11 AP, neither of which include means for the user to manually add this information.
Another previous solution was to press a non-operational combination of keys on both the headset and the corresponding device to initiate an automated pairing sequence. This is not adequate for an 802.11 AP as it does not tell the AP whether the device has authorization to pair with this particular AP or not. Furthermore, 802.11 APs are often located in places that are not accessible to the headset user, such as in the ceiling, in an adjacent locked room or atop a tall pole.
A third previous solution was to include a small display along with some additional buttons onto the headset. This solution adds significantly to the cost of the headset and makes it substantially bulkier and heavier while worn on the user's head.